18 Facts About Archie Norman

Archibald John Norman was born on 1 May 1954 and is a British businessman and politician.

Archie Norman is the only person to have been chairman of an FTSE 100 company and a Member of the House of Commons at the same time.

From January 2010 to January 2016, Archie Norman was the chairman of ITV plc.

Archie Norman was the youngest-ever partner at McKinsey aged 28.

Archie Norman then held directorships at Geest and Railtrack, before becoming group finance director at Britain's then largest retailer, Kingfisher plc at 32.

From 1991 until 1999, Archie Norman was Chief Executive and then Chairman of Asda, the large supermarket chain, and with Allan Leighton, he is credited with turning it around, and making it the second largest in the United Kingdom, before its sale to Wal-Mart in July 1999.

In 1996, on the advice of Francis Maude, Archie Norman decided to apply for the Conservative safe seat of Tunbridge Wells, soon to be vacated by Sir Patrick Mayhew.

Archie Norman was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells in England, at the 1997 General Election, with a majority of 7,506.

In December 1996, Labour warned that people voting for Archie Norman would be short-changed, as he believed that being an MP was not a full-time job.

Archie Norman proposed in a "Blueprint for change" plan that the election of party leader should be decided by party members, rather than MPs, and there should be a target of doubling membership.

Archie Norman served as a shadow minister for the environment in 1999.

In July 2002, Archie Norman became Chairman of Energis, having led a consortium of banks in the purchase and refinancing of the United Kingdom arm of Energis from the administrators.

In May 2005, Archie Norman officially stood down as MP, prior to the general election.

In October 2016, Archie Norman was appointed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as its Lead Non Executive Board Member, with Clark as Secretary of State.

In November 2007, Archie Norman advised Wesfarmers on the acquisition of Coles Group, and has since overseen the turnaround of Coles in Australia.

On 18 November 2009, Archie Norman was named as the new chairman of ITV plc.

Archie Norman is on the Board of the NIESR, has an Honorary Degree from Leeds Metropolitan University, was a Director of the Judge Institute, has been elected to the Marketing Society Hall of Fame, and been voted Retailer of the Year and Yorkshire Businessman of the Year.

Archie Norman bought a pied-a-terre in Tunbridge Wells while MP.